Young Adult Mentor Program
Program Overview
The Shining Stars Mentorship Program connects young adult survivors of pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses with dedicated mentors. Mentors provide guidance and support, helping empower the young adults as they identify and achieve personal and professional goals.
Why is this important? There is currently a lack of age-appropriate services that help young adult pediatric cancer survivors tackle the unique challenges they face. As a result of their illness and treatments, these patients are entering adulthood with a wide range of burdens, including: Lack of education or access to higher education, severe financial difficulties, isolation from their peers, chronic health conditions, cognitive and learning challenges, and adjustment difficulties. By carefully matching these young adults with mentors in the local community, this program aims to provide survivors with a support system designed to help address these challenges.
Mentors play a crucial role in helping young adult survivors empower themselves. Every mentoring relationship is different and depends on the goals and unique interests of each mentor-mentee pair. Mentors and mentees will work together to come up with a specific, tangible goal for the year. Some past examples of goals have included:
Program Requirements
In order to participate in the Shining Stars Mentorship Program, participants must:
Commit to a one-year mentor/mentee relationship
Agree to set specific, achievable goals for the year
Maintain regular communication, with a minimum of two times per month, to assess progress toward the set goals (this includes in-person meetings, phone calls, video conferences, or other forms of communication)
Attend events that gather mentors/mentees together whenever possible
Interested in Getting Involved?
Become a mentor - click here to apply
Become a mentee - click here to apply
